Our question this week was:

Dr. Jon – is catnip and catmint the same thing? Do cats like both of them?

Scarlett.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote asking if catnip and catmint were the same thing. They are different plants from the same genus Nepeta. This genus has over 240 species of plants in the family Lamiaceae. Catnip and catmint are members of this family. I believe they are considered part of the herb family.

They are different plants but both can have an affect on some cats – providing the cat can be stimulated by it.

For more information on how catnip affects cats – read this article –
Crazy for Catnip and Catmint.

Best of luck!

Dr. Jon




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